


I'll Start (to Believe)

by hurtzyx



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Powers, Character Death, GOD THIS IS JUST SO MUCH LONGER THAN I THOUGHT., M/M, badly written fantasy, not much romance really, pretty much inconsequential to the plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-13
Updated: 2017-10-13
Packaged: 2019-01-16 16:11:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12346110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hurtzyx/pseuds/hurtzyx
Summary: Jongdae wouldn’t say he was any different from anyone else, well besides the fact that he can control and manipulate thunder, and Yixing is an immortal being with a keen interest in mortals.





	I'll Start (to Believe)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [unbeat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/unbeat/gifts).



> ah yes, this monster is finally done. happy birthday i wanted to kill you throughout the entirety of me writing this and even though it's a bit of a mess and kind of all over the place i hope you enjoy it. *cue me saying i'll never write xingdae again only to write xingdae again in a few months*

Once upon a time, there was a lonely, empty planet not more than a mere speck in the Universe. No land nor water could be found in this unfortunate of places. The Universe however, favored this planet above all others, for She was its mother. She fell into a depressive state for centuries and cried and cried onto the vast and empty planet and overtime…from the Universe’s accumulated tears came to be two aspects of the same being.

 

The world was no longer empty, for Water had been created.

 

Water’s two aspects, frost and liquid (now known as Minseok and Junmyeon), lived for a millennia alone, the two brothers had no one but their own company and it soon seemed obvious that it was to stay that way for another eternity.

 

Except, it didn’t.

 

Fire one day appeared on the surface of their lonely planet. Minseok and Junmyeon had no clue who this strange being was and how he had come to their home. It is said however, that Fire was a creation of passion. Some say the Universe unwittingly created Fire in a brief, but passionate moment with a lover. Others say, the Universe’s mate, a star, had struck the Universe in a moment of anger and the wrath of the Universe created Fire. Origins differ from tribe to tribe.

 

Fire (currently known as Chanyeol) was unpredictable and brash, it’s powers were too powerful and too destructive, but it was discovered (by a coincidence) that Minseok and Junmyeon’s powers, more so Junmyeon, could extinguish his flames. More often than not, that would aggravate Chanyeol and cause an even larger mess, so their best option would be to dampen it’s affects. The two Water aspects knew Chanyeol meant no harm, knew that his destruction did not stem from a need to destroy and ruin, but such a simple thing, he merely did not know how to control his powers.

 

It would be centuries before Chanyeol mastered his element, wreaking more havoc than they all cared to create but it was all easily extinguished and kept under control as they became more and more used to these outbursts.

 

Though the Universe thought She was satisfied with her creations (both accidental and intentional), as time eventually passed by She found Her planet reverting to it’s lonely state once more. This time, She created a gentle being of one aspect. She breathed onto the surface of her favored child and Wind came into existence.

 

Wind was a neutral being, whereas Water and Fire were polar opposites, and tended to stay away from their affairs and thus was labelled as the peace keeper. Wind (more recently known as Sehun) tended to prefer the Universe’s company as he was naturally a very inquisitive being. He spent his earlier years questioning his existence, and what lies beyond their lonely planet. The Universe greatly enjoyed Sehun’s company above all else, but couldn’t answer all his questions, he would not understand the workings of the Universe.

 

One day, after decades of his existence Wind called upon the Universe.

 

“And what may I owe the pleasure to?” The kind, gentle Mother asked Her favored child.

 

“May I request something of you?” Wind looked up at the Universe’s mortal form (much taller than his mortal form) and inquired.

 

“Of-of course you may, anything you ask my dearest.” The Universe was taken aback at how upfront Her youngest was, but smiled warmly upon Her child.

 

“As you know, our lonely planet always seems to be missing something. Something crucial really, I don’t mean to insult your abilities but I wonder if you’ve sensed it as well? That something continues to leave our planet feeling hollow, feeling _empty?”_ Sehun always had a way with words, he knew he did, and he especially knew that if one of the beings were to woo the Universe it would be him.

 

“Well, of course I have! That’s why you’ve all been created, to fill the emptiness this pitiful planet seems to emit.”

 

“I was hoping that maybe…an addition to our existence would help fill that gaping hole. So, I am here to beg you in favor of the creation of another being.” Sehun got to his knees, and bowed deeply to the Universe, a universal sign of begging.

 

“Oh my most gentle of creations, up on your mortal feet! There will be no need of this senseless begging, I will do it for you.” She extended her mortal, but glowing nonetheless, arm towards Sehun and once again beamed at him. The Universe’s smile was a beautiful thing, radiating literal warmth and comfort to all those receiving it. Wind was relieved, he beamed back at Her, he was so terrified he was offending the Universe with his request.

 

“Thank you! I will be thanking you for another eternity!” Wind was still young so his powers were still not yet controlled and he accidentally shifted from his mortal form into his immortal form. At this, the Universe laughed, as She created the last of the immortal beings.

 

Earth took the shape of two aspects, one gentler aspect to represent healing, Yixing, and another callous but neutral aspect to represent the more grueling aspects of the element, Kyungsoo.

 

Named after their home and the lonely planet the Universe took pity towards, the Earth element was created. The two aspects of Earth were more _physical_ than the other aspects, filling their planet with flowers and new landscapes the other three elements never knew could exist. The Earth element created the Fire element’s home within mountains and volcanos, it separated the Water element’s territories from the Fire element to retain the balance they all sought. Wind, though satisfied with the two new aspects, still feared something was missing but let it go because he had already asked too much of the Universe. Wind could tell the toll his favor took on the Universe and almost felt pity for its creator.

 

Years passed and the elements lived in harmony, with the creation of the Earth element came a presence filled with _life_ no one was prepared for. First it was the plants growing right out of the Earth element’s skin, next came the animals that frankly….none of the elements knew their exact origins (all the elements had a sneaking suspicion the Universe breathed life into the world once more). Lastly came the destructive humans. The humans though were created by the Universe, the four elements were sure of it.

 

The four elements (and sometimes the Universe Herself) once got along with the humans, even _gifted_ some favorable humans a minuscule portion of their magic, but as the time passed on the more the humans became _too_ curious, _too_ brazen, _too_ destructive. So, the elements reached an agreement, they would recede into their home territories and rule their respective territories in hiding lest the humans find a way to capture and channel their powers. The four elements were in _no way_ to interact with the humans, or even notify them of the element’s existence. The humans and the elements would be separated forever.

 

Of course, immortal beings like the elements never could keep their promises, and over the millennia they revealed their existence to a select few humans, even took some for lovers, but they always went back to their solitary and cut off ways. Humans would never change, and neither would the elements, the only difference between the two was the fact that the elements were the only _truly_ immortal beings in existence. Humans lived their full (but rather short) lifespans and died, but human nature never really changed.

 

//\\\

 

Jongdae wouldn’t say he was any different from anyone else, well besides the fact that he can control and manipulate thunder. He was born and raised in Daejeon and would most probably die in Daejeon, as friendless and lonely as he always was. His parents were his only real friends but there was always a limit for how comfortable a child can be with their parents. _Especially_ in Jongdae’s case. He loved his parents, but he wondered if they really needed to keep him secluded as if he were some child who didn’t know any better. Their reason for keeping him away from the growing and thriving city that is Daejeon and it’s inhabitants were understandable though, so even when he was being irrational like he was now, it never lasted long.

 

Truth is, Jongdae would probably be dead if it were not for his parents. When he came into his powers at the ripe age of thirteen he didn’t know _what_ to do. It was kept a secret from his parents lest they think he were some sort of freak and throw him out - he feels ashamed to even have thought such a preposterous thing. His parents did not ridicule him, nor did they throw him out of the house, truth is they were slightly expecting his powers. They sat him down and explained that Jongdae’s maternal family had the gene of controlling and manipulating thunder for centuries and that it tended to skip generations at random, which is why every generation was well informed on how to keep it under control.

 

He still remembers his mother standing up and exiting their living room, only to return with an ancient looking book and promising him they were not going to leave him alone in this. 

 

_“Oh, this copy is less recent than it should be. I think this one is about a century old? We’ll need to modernize it so it doesn’t fall apart when you turn a page.”_

 

For seven years Jongdae has been mastering his element, so much so that now it’s only second nature to him to conjure the electric currents he feels underneath his skin, leaving the tips of his hands glowing with the electricity running through him. He stared at the river below him and wondered what it would have been like if he didn’t have the ability to create thunder.

 

//\\\

 

Yixing never interacted with mortals, never really felt the tug to any humans in the past few centuries and yet…he finds himself watching the mortal with the power of thunder under his control. He watches through his glowing emerald and mud colored eyes the young man seated atop a large boulder on the river with a book in his lap, sometimes leaving the book aside to stare into the unmoving water below him for minutes on end. When the man realizes he’s been lost in thought staring for far too long he shakes his head and brings his focus back onto the book in his lap.

 

The atmosphere of Daejeon was not exactly friendly in the freezing month of January. The seasonal icy blue of Yixing’s mortal skin were an indicator for that. The fresh snow on the ground unbothered except for where the young man’s foot prints were another indicator, and yet the man remained seated, not caring his face was red with cold, the only part of his body exposed to the world. Yixing remained a safe distance from the young man but could see the tip of the man’s rather large nose turning more red by the hour.

 

There was no reason for a being like Yixing to be infatuated with the way the unknown man is seated quietly, reading in peace as though it were not below freezing temperatures for humans. 

 

Humans were truly strange beings.

 

The Earth aspect finally found it within himself to turn away from the strange mortal being with the book across from him and disappeared into his home territory.

 

It was a terrible crime for any of the elements to interact with the humans and Yixing didn’t forget why, but that didn’t keep the immortal being from wondering if the peculiar human would be there again soon.

 

(And he was. 

Everyday.)

 

//\\\

 

Jongdae liked the quiet of his rock on the Geum river, for that he was lucky to be residing in Daedeok district. 

 

It was finally spring, which meant no longer sitting in the freezing weather of Daejeon for hours with his current book at hand. Although there was no one else to blame but himself for being outside for such long periods of time during winter.

 

It was hard staying at home and he loved his parents but being cut off from the society around them when they live in such a large city wasn’t as easy as it once was. Some days Jongdae wishes he had a friend who understood, wished he actually _had_ a friend. He was in control of his powers now, so what was holding him back?

 

It was suffocating, being on his own for so long. Jongdae’s parents understood to a degree, but they could never fully understand, not without having powers of their own. It was ridiculous and absolutely infuriating to feel this way and the feeling never went away. 

 

That cool spring morning beside the river Jongdae laid his head under his arm and closed his eyes. The temperature would have been cold had it not been for the sun shining atop their sky once again. Soon enough he felt himself drifting into unconsciousness. 

 

He could have sworn he felt a presence somewhere near him, but sleep called out to him more than his paranoia.

 

//\\\

 

Yixing promised himself he would stop going to see the young human. Some promises were meant to be broken.

 

The human didn’t come that day. Yixing tried not to show his obvious disappointment when he headed back into his territory.

 

~

 

“You’ve been going out everyday, where have you been?” Kyungsoo was the other Earth element aspect, seemingly cold but overwhelmingly warm once the icy exterior is let out. Yixing couldn’t help but stare at his brother in silence, taking in the warm brown color of his skin, the daisies and roses beginning to bloom on the surface of his skin whilst the orchids and carnations are in full bloom. Kyungsoo is shorter than Yixing - at least his mortal body was, his immortal shape was everything found on the earth which would make communication between the brothers hard. Yixing, while immortal, did _not_ have an immortal shape. His mortal shape was the mortal body his brothers had, he supposed him and his elder brother Minseok shared that in common.

 

“Out into the human world, their advances are astonishing!” He supposed it wasn’t a complete lie, Yixing did go into the human world to monitor their advances and societies, he just makes a stop in a specific location for a specific human on the way back to their home territory. It wasn’t like he _interacted_ with the human, Yixing just liked watching him. As peculiar as that sounded.

 

“Need I remind you the last time you got _too_ close to the humans?” Kyungsoo cocked an eyebrow, and Yixing could already find himself slipping back in time.

 

“This isn’t the same.” Yixing insisted, “I’m not interacting with any of them, they’re just an interesting species, much more entertaining than animals.” 

 

“You didn’t mean to interact with them last time either…” There it was, the reminder of Yixing’s one mistake. How many centuries of this will he have to deal with?

 

“Yes, I healed the wrong human and brought chaos into the human world, _thank you_ for your reminder of the mistake I will not be forgetting anytime soon.” He was beginning to get more aggravated, it was unbelievable! One mistake and the other immortal elements will hound you for it for centuries to come. That being said, their hounding was justified, Yixing was just too stubborn to admit then.

 

“Let it serve as a reminder then, why we stay away from the humans. It has been centuries since your last mistake, but it has been over a millennia since we separated ourselves from that world. You are immortal and you remember our reasonings, but time has rusted away at your memory. Let me be clear, you are to _stay_ _away_ from the humans at all costs Yixing. We will not clean up your mess again.” With that, Kyungsoo reverted to his immortal shape and left his brother to wallow in anger directed to himself for his deadly mistake so long ago.

 

The young man still tugged at Yixing’s mind however.

 

//\\\

 

EXO island was nothing more than a minuscule island found between the Chinese city of Qingdao in the Shandong Province and the South Korean city Gunsan located in the North Jeolla Province. It has been over a thousand years since the founding of the ultra secret island, so secret the governments of both bordering countries have long forgotten about it. 

 

The island itself housed little over a hundred students under the age of twenty-one, twenty educators, and a few more of the Blessed who have chosen to stay within the safety of the island after they’ve become of age. Most of the Blessed who choose to stay later go on to become educators, they rarely wed unless it were to another Blessed.

 

Of course with as many Blessed as there were passing through the island, the population were no strangers to reckless magic. Some reckless magic even went as far as risking the exposure of their little island.

 

The origin of their powers remained a mystery, none of the Blessed knew what caused the first generation of Blessed to gain their abilities. Although, there were some old legends but none that could truly be trusted. The legends spoke of immortal beings who _gifted_ the first generation of Blessed with their abilities, but none believe that old story any longer. Some Blessed cited a genetic mutation in their ancestors that was passed down through the generation, _this_ theory was more popular amongst the modern Blessed. If immortal beings were real where have they been? Why would they not have interacted with the Blessed? Most of the Blessed population couldn’t justify such nonsense with logic, so the scientific approach made more sense.

 

The student Blessed population spent a total of eight years in the school established for them, they spent those eight years practicing and mastering their abilities, so much so that they would be able to leave the island and live amongst the humans without worry of any accidents involving their powers. Blessed children also learned Mandarin Chinese, Korean, along with a language of their choice (depending on where the Blessed’s family lives) along with mastering their abilities. Almost all Blessed students come from China and South Korea, but some families chose to immigrate to different parts of the globe, which is why the elective language of choice is offered as part of their curriculum. 

 

The Blessed may lead such secretive and secluded lives but ultimately all of the Blessed knew that continuing to live their lives in secrecy was the best course of action to protect themselves.

 

At least most did. Inevitably, a rise in wanting to shed their lives of secrecy in favor of living amongst the humans without keeping their abilities a secret would overtake a surprisingly large number of EXO inhabitants and threaten the lives of every Blessed.

 

//\\\

 

Yixing already had the immortal equivalent to a headache. The gathering of the elements on the summer solstice was always dreadfully boring. As the lesser half of the earth element he really didn’t offer much in terms of abilities, so he was forced to attend these yearly meetings with nothing to say or offer really. He was after all only in charge of healing, could only channel the earth element and use it to heal living organisms, Kyungsoo shouldered more of the burden of their shared element.

 

His shoulder length, silky black hair fell down to his shoulders for once. He usually preferred sporting it up and away from his face, making his differently colored eyes and ever shifting skin jut out like a sore thumb amongst the other beings, not the other elements however. Junmyeon with his pale white skin, so reminiscent of the color of waterfalls and eyes of ever shifting sea green and stormy grey. If one looked into Junmyeon’s eyes long enough you could feel the calming ebb and flow of waves. Junmyeon’s hair, always admired by Yixing, fell to his chest, a cascade of varying shades that changed with every angle, sometimes purple, sometimes blue, and sometimes as white as his skin. Minseok was the opposite, where Junmyeon had a warm presence Minseok dominated the coolness of his abilities, with his short icy blond hair and striking blue eyes Minseok was already daunting, add his skin of frozen ice and purple lips and he somehow becomes even more intimidating. What made Minseok even more terrifying was that he lacked an immortal form, like Yixing. Chanyeol was all flames, fiery red hair that almost resembled lava falling right to his waist, always kept up, and skin that shifted depending on mood, the neutral color of red and the chaotic blue that always came with trouble. Chanyeol’s eyes were his most captivating feature though, shifting between colors of the fire sometimes orange, sometimes red, and sometimes blue, there never seemed to be a pattern for why his eyes shift colors. Sehun was the simplest of the elements, with his short platinum white hair always seemingly blowed out of his face and his pale yellow eyes. Sehun never really touched the ground in his mortal form as he was always floating. Kyungsoo was the most interesting, his skin shifted with every season. During Fall his earthy brown skin was filled with multi-colored leaves growing right out of his skin. During Winter his skin froze up to an icy blue or white. Spring was his most beautiful season of skin, his earthy brown skin was covered with an assortment daisies, orchids, roses, and carnations. Summer was breathtaking as well, the Spring flowers were replaced with more Summer flowers like lotus flowers, sunflowers, orange blossoms, and lilies. His eyes and hair were of a simple black, but his skin made up for his rather plain features. Last but not least, Yixing himself. Yixing did not take after his elder brother Minseok in his inhumane looks, Yixing looked rather human when compared to the rest of the elements. His shifting skin depended on his energy levels, and sometimes it was seasonal. Yixing’s eyes were differently colored eyes, one earthy brown eye and one sparkling emerald green and dark, dark black shoulder length hair.

 

Even though Yixing’s role in the meetings were impossibly minuscule, he still always made sure to pay close attention to every detail and tone of each element. Sometimes hostility arose between the brothers, and because of their immortality each and every one of them have mastered the ability to cloak implied threats with fake smiles and enthusiasm. This time Yixing’s mind strayed too much from it’s usual scrutiny, the boy was still on his mind.

 

The boy was not interesting, or at least he shouldn’t be ( _he’s a mortal for the Universe’s sake!_ ), but for some reason he was all Yixing could think about these days. He wanted to laugh for acting a fool, some immortal being he is for being this infatuated with a mortal male. He wondered if it was his lack of an immortal form that made him so lenient towards mortals, his elder Minseok never seemed to have the same issue he had. Although, Minseok didn’t really look mortal in his mortal form anyway, and Yixing was always the most mortal looking out of the elements.

 

Whatever it was that always tugged at him to see the boy, it needed to stop if he were this distracted at such a crucial event.

 

//\\\

 

Summer’s sweltering heat arrived in Daejeon which rendered Jongdae unable to continue daily reading sessions on his quiet, hidden rock on the river. The heat was too unbearable during July and August, not to mention the humidity that had Jongdae feeling gross and sticky in all sorts of places. Although it drove him to near insanity to be in his house all hours of the day, during Summer he had no choice.

 

Winter was different. During Winter, Jongdae could withstand the extreme cold and snow all to read in the outdoors. Spring and Summer were also when Jongdae’s powers were least stable, more so Spring than Summer, but the two seasons always kept Jongdae on edge and the usually tight leash he has on his powers felt like he was losing his grip, and so Jongdae opted to stay home for the majority of Spring and Summer till he couldn’t bear it any longer. Only then would he allow himself a brief break from the suffocating walls of his house.

 

(Jongdae always felt guilty for feeling the way he did about the way he lives, he knows he has to live like this to keep others and himself safe, but sometimes his dearest wish was to be normal and free of his ability to control thunder).

 

//\\\

 

Yixing never saw the boy that summer. He tried not to be sad, he had no reason to anyway. The boy was a mortal and mortals were always Yixing’s weakness, even _more_ reason for Yixing to stay away. Of course, he never really could. 

 

+

 

Fall arrived, Yixing’s skin shifted once again and with the changes the boy was to be found once again. Yixing had let out a sigh of relief when he found the boy perched on the lone rock he was always sitting on. 

 

These visits always tested Yixing’s restraint, there was an ever present tug for him to call out to the boy and make his presence known, but Yixing was immortal, and immortals have no business with mortals. The mantra drilled into his mind by his brothers ever since the last incident with the mortals is too loud in Yixing’s mind. So, Yixing kept to himself, watched the boy do nothing but read and stare off into the distance, occasionally summoning up his abilities to pass time before dusk,

 

Yixing still wondered why the boy wasn’t on EXO island with the others like him, with the Blessed. Yixing still recalls the first generation of Blesseds like it was yesterday, but it wasn’t. It was over a millennia ago, and all the mortals he once loved were dead. He was always the most sad when the first generation Blessed were brought up, when they all passed away the immortals all decided to go into hiding. It was the first time he wished he wasn’t immortal, the first time he realized how fragile life was for the mortals, how quickly their lifespans ended and how wildly they burned through their lives. 

 

Sometimes he wished he had relinquished his immortality to the Universe then and was laid to rest with the mortals he loved. 

 

He had made himself sad once again, as much sadness as an immortal whose emotions have weathered with the millennia could feel, but even then it was too much. Silently, Yixing left the secluded area and back into the immortal realm. He did look back once, to catch the boy staring right at him. Yixing’s eyes widened with shock as he disappeared.

 

//\\\

 

Jongdae didn’t know what to make of himself. Was he seeing things or was that strange being with a strange color to its skin and eyes that would haunt Jongdae for days to come. Was it a figment of his overactive imagination? Or was it truly real? 

 

+

 

Fall was Jongdae’s favorite season. The shifting of seasons always fascinated him, how vastly different each season was from the season before it (especially when it was spring or summer when Jongdae _really_ wanted the seasons to change). The weather is no longer suffocatingly hot or a sticky sort of humidity that made you feel disgusting as soon as you stepped out of an air conditioned space. Fall was neutral, it was neither cold nor warm, a perfect blend of the two.

 

What made fall his favorite season was the complete and utter control he had over his ability, unlike the previous two seasons where he often felt on edge and close to snapping at every move. It was like breathing easy for the first time in six months, but after seven years of this Jongdae is more than accustomed to the strangeness of the two seasons where no matter what he does he cannot keep a lid on his powers.

 

Sometimes he really wished he was powerless.

 

“Mom? I’m heading out!” Jongdae yelled from the living room and almost laughed himself to death thinking about the fact that he was _twenty_ and still asking his parents to leave the house. Sure, maybe he was just informing them of his goings but it still counted as getting permission when he waits for his mother’s response.

 

“Don’t be late!” With that confirmation, Jongdae bolted out the door.

 

+

 

He didn’t know what prompted him to be so foolishly stupid, _so_ beyond stupid Jongdae was sure he had defined a new level of idiocy. His last thoughts were probably going to be something as stupid as him scolding himself for making such a mistake.

 

Everything was in slow motion, Jongdae could see a figure rushing towards him.

 

Green.

 

Brown.

 

Jongdae was surely dead, that was the only explanation.

 

He almost laughed when he realized his death would be caused by his powers.

 

_And darkness…_

 

//\\\

 

Yixing was, against his better judgement, watching the boy once again. A regular fall afternoon, the wind was chilly but no chilly enough to inhibit the mortal from sitting atop the rock he usually sits on with a different book in hand than the last time Yixing was here.

 

Yixing spends too much time next to this Universe-forsaken rock and for what? A mortal? If his brothers knew, they’d laugh themselves senseless until they went on and held it agains him for the next few centuries, or at least till they could find anything else to focus their mocking and teasing on.

 

It happened before he could even react, one moment the mortal is messing around with his powers, and another he hears a yell erupting from the throat of the boy and a body falling into the water, the _electrocuted_ water. 

 

How stupid can mortals be? And yet, Yixing rushed to the mortal as quickly as he could. Grabbing the unconscious mortal and pulling him out onto the shore.The mortal had a pulse, albeit it being extremely weak, so Yixing could save him. With a flash of the immortal’s eldest dagger, he dripped his blood into the mouth of the dying mortal and watched as a glow took over the mortal’s body. The momentarily ashy pale and lifeless face was filled with color once again, his skin’s warmth returned to replace the clammy, cold temperature of near death.

 

It would not be long before the mortal awoke and Yixing must not be found anywhere near him. He stared down upon the human’s face, took in the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest and deducted that he would be alright. He seemed young, mortals always seemed younger than they were, but this one seemed around adolescence, or near the end of it at the very least. Just as a precaution - because it seemed like this mortal still hadn’t mastered his power - he scribbled down the coordinates for EXO Island and tucked it into the human’s pocket.

 

He wished he could stay and be there when the human awoke, but Yixing just couldn’t afford any more mingling with humans. The knowledge that the human was safe and would be alright would have to due for now. So he turned and forced himself to step away from the mortal and back into his realm.

 

//\\\

 

Jongdae woke up with a faint headache and parts of his memory missing. The electrocution, sadly, he could remember, how he winded up on the grass perfectly fine was a mystery.

 

It was dark now, and _oh shit!_

 

His mother must be losing her mind over where he is, he’s never been this late.

 

With an ear splitting migraine, and a slight pain god knows where in his body, Jongdae picked himself up off the ground and broke into a sprint to his house. He has never ran this fast in his life, especially when not potentially injured.

 

“Where have you _been?!”_ His mother’s yelling greets him as soon as he enters the house. He could tell her the truth, that he was almost sure he dead but somehow miraculously lived _or…._ he could choose the safe choice and lie. 

 

“I…accidentally fell asleep and just woke up now.” Telling the truth has never been his forte anyway.

 

His mother throws a fit over how much he’d worried her while his father silently nodded along to every word she said, but eventually she calmed down enough to let him peacefully enclose himself into his room and sleep for as long as he liked. 

 

Unbeknownst to him, a slip of paper dropped out of his pocket as he was heading towards his room (too much has happened in one day for his tastes) and his mother took it.

 

//\\\

 

She knew she should have sent him off when his powers first developed, but something in her gut just told her not to.

 

Seven years later and she could tell her inability to teach him as well as any other Blessed would come back to haunt her. Seven years and her son still hasn’t mastered complete control of his powers. Seven years into his development and he _needed_ to be around other Blesseds, and yet she couldn’t let go.

 

She still remembered _her_ mother telling her stories of a never present grandmother who sent her away as soon as she learned that her mother was no Blessed. Perhaps it was a fear of her son leaving and never returning that scared her, or even worse, a son who would grow old and send away his only child upon learning that his child was not like him. Whatever her reasons were, they were thrown apart by the sudden realization that one way or another, her son would have been sent to live alongside other Blesseds whether she liked it or not.

 

It was what was best for Jongdae in the end, and how could she ever hold her own son back from that?

 

//\\\

 

The man wouldn’t say he _hated_ his way of life. Hate was too strong of a word, _annoyed_ was a much better term for the way he felt. Resentment as well.

 

It just made no sense to him that every Blessed was doomed to live out their days (except a select few) on the island. Why should _they_ suffer on the possibility that mankind wouldn’t accept them? Wouldn’t fear them (as they truly rightfully should).

 

They were Blessed for a reason, each and every one of them gifted an ability no other human could obtain. Not through genetic manipulation or any other scientific experiments, so why are they still living in hiding and not amongst the other humans? 

 

Why did _they_ have to sacrifice a life of comfort for seclusion? When they already knew there was no known method of extracting their powers and injecting them into anyone else.

 

At least that’s what he told those who believed him. Truth is, he didn’t know if scientists could extract their abilities through their DNA and replicate it so that they may be able to have their abilities widespread amongst other humans, he just wanted out of this sick excuse of a life that felt more like a prison sentence.

 

He wanted _action,_ he wanted _out_ of EXO island, and this was the only way. Thankfully, more and more people continued to join his cause daily, and soon enough he would be able to strike, and end their era of seclusion.

 

One day…

 

//\\\

 

It’s been days since the eventful near death experience that Jongdae went through, and surprisingly enough…it’s been normal. His powers are still the same, ( _note to self: I am_ not _thunder-proof, kindly never fall into electrocuted water, it will kill me_ ) and nothing extraordinary has happened since. It seems too good to be true, his mother never pressed him for more information on that day even though it was clear she barely believed him, and his father well…he went by what his mother did, so if she wasn’t acting strange neither was he.

 

Truth is, Jongdae’s kind of afraid of going back. There was something sacred about his time of actual solitude on the rock with his book, but it now seemed like it was a danger to him. Those eyes still haunt him.

 

//\\\

 

She had to tell him, she had to part with him. It was for his own good, his own good. Maybe parting with him would prove useful to her too, maybe now she wouldn’t have to spend every moment of the day scrutinizing any aspect of potential danger to him.

 

It was almost winter, she had to tell him before it was truly unsafe to sail to the island. The changing weather always made her feel nervous, Jongdae never could truly master his abilities. Maybe she should wait for spring, when the weather would be nicer and the sails much easier. Yes, that sounded safer. It gave her more time to think as well, mull over the thought of sending him away, but it felt like a betrayal to be keeping this from him, it always had. Her husband didn’t know too many of the details, but he knew there was something she wasn’t saying, he kept quiet though. He never told their son about what his mother could potentially be keeping. 

 

She was afraid, more afraid of losing her only child forever than the infinitesimal possibility of him being in danger. 

 

“Mom?” her son’s voice cut into the thoughts running around in her mind, it brought her back to sanity. She could not wait for spring, Jongdae was almost at graduating age, he could not afford to miss much more of what he already has. This would be good for him.

 

_He will come back. He always does._

 

“You called for me?” he asked tentatively, it made her wonder if he was keeping any secrets of his own. Maybe this was a bad idea.

 

_No._

 

“What? Oh yes, we need to talk.” She would keep it simple, as simple as possible, but not too simple so as to garner any questions from him. She wanted his anger and confusion at a minimum, but she already knew there would be more of the former than of the latter.

 

“Look mom, about that day I came late I wasn’t truthful,” That night? So he _was_ keeping something from her. “I know, I know I shouldn’t have lied but to be completely honest I’m not one hundred percent sure I understand what happened…”

 

“Yes? I’m waiting, go on.” She had to pretend to know what he was talking about, else wise he would probably just make up another lie to cover up his older lie. 

 

“Well, you see - this is really hard to say - but, I may have accidentally electrocuted myself and probably should be dead by now but I don’t know why I’m not.” She stared at him, unsure as to how to respond, really unsure as to how to _feel._ He…almost died?

 

“And I know you’re never going to let me out of the house again but I’m pretty sure I only got so out of control because I still don’t have a tight leash on my powers.” Oh god, she really did have to send him away.

 

//\\\

 

“I’m not angry, more so worried and upset you didn’t tell me sooner, but not angry. As long as you’re alright,” She looked him in the eye, “and you _are_ alright aren’t you?” _Well I’m not really sure as to why or how I’m still alive and I have nightmares about two toned eyes every night that makes me terrified of going back to the only place I felt like I wasn’t suffocating in, but yeah I’m alright!_

 

He couldn’t say that though. Careless words thrown around have never been particularly appealing to him, so he kept quiet.

 

“I’m a little shaken up but I’m okay, not dead at least.” _That_ was his attempt at humor, but he could tell his chuckle wasn’t going to be reciprocated, not according to how his mother winced.

 

“Jongdae…sweetheart you know I love you right? And everything I’ve done was to keep you safe?” 

 

“Is…everything alright? You’re kind of scaring me.” Everything was fine right? It was all right, no way something was wrong. A sense of wrongness filled his gut, he didn’t want to hear what was to come. 

 

“Well, I’ve been keeping a secret of my own,” She took a deep breath and looked back up into his eyes, it almost seemed forced. Whatever it was it wasn’t bad…

 

Right?

 

“You - er, well we’re not the only family gifted with abilities similar to yours, there are specific families who share your gift, and there’s actually…an school for people like you, I - well, I didn’t tell you for countless reasons but the biggest reason was fear. I-”

 

“You _what?_ You kept something this important from me for how long? How long have I should have known about this? I - I don’t understand.” This didn’t make sense, his mother never kept things from him. She was the one who helped him come to terms with his ability, she - she taught him herself! Why would she lie about this? What was she so afraid of?

 

“My…mother told me stories of my grandmother, but that’s not important. You still have a year left of training, and I’m afraid I haven’t taught you sufficiently enough. You _need_ to go to the island, and I’m going to be apologizing for keeping this from you for as long as possible,” she took a steadying breath and held his stare, “there is…a ship that leaves in two days. You _must_ get on it, and you need to master your ability.” It wasn’t much, but it was a start. Secretly, he wished to stay home within the comfort of familiarity, but he knew just as well as she that he needed to finish his education properly. 

 

And so he agreed, he went up to pack his things (which really wasn’t much anyway) and wondered what this school held for him. He hoped for good things but a suspicious feeling made him know otherwise. The thought was pushed away as soon as it came to mind, it would do him no good to dwell on his fears and anxiety. For now, there was still information on his existence he still needed to glean from his mother. So he went back down and found her sobbing softly, no doubt thinking he would not notice her all the way upstairs, but he knew not to interrupt so he let her cry until there were no more tears left in her to release. Only when the splotchy red color that took over her face receded was when he made his presence known.

 

+

 

And for two days, his mother told him the story of his great-grandmother, or her commonly absent grandmother. She told him of his origins, and how they supposedly came into possession of such abilities, she told him there was a name for people like him _Blessed_. She told him of the immortals so often spoke of within the elder community of Blessed society. She told him of Junmyeon and Minseok the two aspects of the Water element and of their birth. She told him of Chanyeol’s barely tamed flames and of Sehun’s never ending patience. She told him of the two Earth aspects, of Kyungsoo the cold, more powerful of the two and of the most humane of the beings, Yixing. The Healer was strangely appealing to Jongdae, he knew it was all folklore and folly, but maybe the Healer was his favorite immortal.

 

If he had believed in their existence that is.

 

She told him everything she knew about the Blessed population which, according to her is only a small fraction of how everything really is.

 

The world would continue to go on, even as he left everything behind in search of knowledge. 

 

The day had come, Jongdae was setting sail three hours from then. He was going to be alright. He was going to be just fine. The positive thoughts tried to stay with him, he tried to will himself to dissolve the pessimism and the fear, but it held onto him refusing to let go.

 

With a steadying breath, the ship from Gunsan set sail for EXO island.

 

He would be alright.

 

//\\\

 

_Jongdae._ Jongdae. That was the mortal’s name. Yixing stared at the letters written on the front page of the book the human left behind. 

 

The human had not returned to the rock he so often found solitude on. He assumed that the mortal found his way to EXO island with others like him, he had always seemed to morose, so _lonely._ It made him feel sad, an emotion he rarely gets the chance to feel, not for lack of saddening events, but rather an increasingly small capacity for emotion.

 

He was the Healer and if the Healer was losing his capacity to feel emotions was increasingly worrying, maybe they should have never separated from the humans. Once, before their separation, each of the brothers felt emotion more deeply than all the humans combined, and humans were known for their large capacity for emotion. 

 

Naively, he thought to word this to Sehun, thought the second most empathetic immortal being would recall how deeply and truly they all felt once before.

 

“So you think we should slowly allow ourselves back into the sight of humans? Brother have you lost your _mind?_ ” Sehun hissed at the Healer, lowering his voice so the other siblings would not be able to heat their conversation.

 

“I - I just said it was worth thinking of! We are _losing_ ourselves brother, and if we lose our capacity to _feel_ things what else can we lose? How long till we start _fading_ into nothing? We are immortal, but the ancient humans had one thing right, if there is no one to remember us, us immortals will fade into a netherworld. _We_ will cease to exist! Why am I the only one capable of seeing this?” Yixing could not find himself able to put a lid on his frustration, and was sure everyone within a thirty mile radius could hear his shrieking. 

 

“ _We_ are immortal, we are the _only_ immortals in existence, other than our Mother. How had the humans gotten their theories right if it never _happened._ Brother, your naivety is your fatal flaw. Humans are _dangerous_ and humans are reckless, we _all_ agreed that isolation would be our best option!” Now they were truly yelling, and the other brothers gathered around them.

 

“Yixing, you don’t truly believe we should integrate ourselves with the humans once more? I know you learned your lesson with your last… _mistake,_ why do you insist on continuing to make the same mistake over and over again?” The eldest never yelled, but it was obvious his patience was running thin and so was his fuse. Minseok’s anger was an icy anger that reached into you and settled in your bones. His anger was so cold it started to burn, and the weather within the territory they’ve settled on continued to drop.

 

“The godsdamned _Blessed_ are forgetting our existence! We are losing parts of us we never thought we would be losing, maybe we _need_ the humans to ensure our survival. We need their _belief!”_ That seemed to have made Chanyeol snap, because as soon as the weather settled on temperatures so cold no living creature could withstand it, it became just as hot. Chanyeol was known for the short leash he has on his anger. The fire that lined the Fire element’s mortal body changed from its neutral red color to an almost icy blue in a matter of seconds.

 

“Do you ever _learn?_ Each and every time we let you off because we know you are the most humane of us, but you never learn damn it!” Chanyeol was so angry his waist length fiery red hair and eyes turned to the same icy shade of blue as the fire lining his skin. Yixing could tell none of his brothers would be siding with him, but he _had_ to make them see. He had to make them understand this isolation would _doom_ them all.

 

“Stop fighting already,” the other Water aspect growled as a barrier of water rose right in front of the brothers involved, and for a moment Yixing hoped Junmyeon would side with him for once. 

 

“We know our most humane brother tends to act and speak without thinking, a few millennia with him might jog your memories so _back off._ ” Yixing couldn’t believe it, Junmyeon was really siding with him, maybe if Junmyeon could be convinced so can the rest.

 

“With that being said, Yixing you _have_ to give this silly fantasy up, we are immortal and will continue to exist even when all living beings will not. The humans are not to be trusted, and _I_ trust that this will be the last time this topic will be brought up amongst us, is that understood?” It was humiliating, his hopes of having someone side with him were crushed alongside his pride. Here he was, getting scolded like a child in front of all his brothers. Yixing looked up into Junmyeon’s currently stormy grey eyes and knew this fight was lost, and so he nodded defeatedly. 

 

With a look to his partner aspect, he disappeared back onto their territory.

 

//\\\

 

Their numbers were growing, soon enough they would be able to actually do something rather than remain idle at the island with their growing passive aggressiveness. It wasn’t that they had nothing to do, it was that they had no clue what to do with themselves. They may have been growing rapidly but they had no system, they had no plan of action.

 

Most organizations fall through because of that, but he was _determined_ not to allow the movement he worked hard in creating and sustaining just collapse as if it had never mattered.

 

The Blesseds were a strange society, _legally_ they could leave the island and reside wherever they choose to should they not expose themselves to the locals, but it was an almost unspoken law that they were _not_ to leave the island for any circumstance.

 

All Baekhyun wanted to do was ensure that there _was_ a choice, and he knew it wouldn’t be long till he got what he wanted, for he would do whatever it took to achieve it.

 

//\\\

 

Arriving at the island wasn’t what he would have expected, honestly he didn’t know what to expect, but in his head it would have seemed extravagant and almost magical in a sense. When he arrived however it was all too mundane. The island didn’t seem any different from any other human societies, if you chose to ignore the Blessed children playing with their barely tamed powers with other Blessed children. 

 

Suddenly he became very nervous and self aware, could feel the beads of sweat dripping down his back in contrast to the considerably cold air and the unstable beat of his heart. He tried to will his hand to stop it’s uncontrollable shaking and tried to shut his incessantly loud thoughts out. It was strange, the island, but not from the looks of it, rather it was a feeling of being unsettled. It was easy to convince himself the feeling came from the fact that he jut out like a thumb amongst everyone on the island. 

 

Yeah, that was what it was.

 

Soon, a woman with greying hair approached him along with a very tall, lanky man and immediately inquired about his presence.

 

“Oh well, I assumed my parents had sent words but I’m a transfer student of sorts?” _Great Jongdae, stutter your way through your first impressions, that’ll leave a lasting positive impression._

 

“Ah…yes,” He wondered why she sounded so displeased, “the _late_ one I presume?” _Alright lady, we got it._

 

“Yes, that would be me! Kim Jongdae, my great grandmother was the last Blessed in our family.” She didn’t really ask for background information on him, she probably already knew anyway so why did he offer up such useless information? It was hard not to hit himself on the head for it.

 

“If you’ll follow me I’ll show you to where you’ll be residing for the next year and then I’ll redirect you to one of the students to more properly showcase it.” The lanky man gestured for him to follow him and sped up towards the big building that almost resembled an age old university building. The brick building seemed rather daunting and it had an almost eerie feel to it, but as soon as they stepped indoors everything was different. It was the textbook definition of looks are deceiving, for _inside_ the building the modernity of it contrasted with the ancient feel of the exterior. It felt more like home, which immediately made Jongdae feel much better about his situation.

 

“Since you’ve arrived quite…late you’re lucky enough to have gotten a single room instead of a double. Put your stuff here, Yifan should be here quite soon,” at that the man smiled warmly in his direction, “welcome to the island and ultimately the family Kim Jongdae.” The man exited what would be Jongdae’s room for the next year or so, but Jongdae was still unsure of what would happen beyond that. Would he stay on the island with people like him? Or would he go back to a home that is barely considered home?

 

Luckily, before he could delve into thoughts he meant to keep hidden away for as long as possible an extremely tall man knocked at his door, Jongdae just figured this must be this Yifan person the other lanky man talked about. 

 

“Oh hello! I’m Wu Yifan, I’ll be showing you around our lovely campus today, you must be Jongdae right?” Jongdae didn’t know what else to do but extend his arm to shake Yifan’s hand.

 

“Well - uh, hi yes I’m Jongdae,” Why was he so nervous? He was alright before but now he found himself stumbling around his words, “uh thank you - for showing me around I mean.” Yifan nodded instead of giving him a reply and suddenly Jongdae felt like an idiot for some reason.

 

“Well these are the dorms, obviously,” he thought that was hilarious, if his loud laughter was any indication, “and I’m sorry I forgot to ask about what your ability was?” Yifan cocked his head and stared down at a much shorter Jongdae, it felt strangely intimidating.

 

“Oh, uh yeah it’s thunder,” He was going to leave it at that until he realized, “and yours is…?” He hurriedly blurted out awkwardly, cheeks and ears turning slightly red at the embarrassment.

 

“I could show you actually!” And with that, the already extremely tall man floated above the ground. Really, it wasn’t fair someone his height would be gifted flight, all he needed to do was jump and he’d be flying anyway.

 

“Oh wow! Er - that wasn’t sarcasm by the way.” _God, can you shut_ up _already, you’re making it worse._ Luckily, Yifan didn’t press any further and continued on with the (especially) long tour of the (extremely) large campus. It was strange that it was so big when there were so little students attending, it seemed completely unconventional, but the campus was beautiful. At the edge of the campus the school overlooked the ocean off a cliff’s edge, the view immediately took his breath away. He wondered if he would find any place where he could be isolated, just like his old rock, so he could get a taste of home every once in a while.

 

He hoped there was.

 

\+ 

 

“Alright! That concludes our humble campus, I think we’re going to be in the same classes for the most part except for the classes you’ll be taking with the younger students to test your abilities. If you need anything I live three rooms down on the left if you need anything!” Yifan was generous, but Jongdae could sense the other’s boredom from the start, so he smiled and kept his questions to himself.

 

“Thank you again for showing me around, well…I guess I’ll see you around then?” 

 

“Of course, I’ll get going then,” A soft smile, “don’t forget! If you have any questions I’ll be glad to answer them.” Jongdae nodded and thanked him once again and was finally left alone in his new room. 

 

It was not large by any means; it was simple as well, composed of a bed, a closet, and a desk with a note for him to remember to receive his materials before his classes were to start. The administration gave him the liberty of a day to become accustomed to life on the island before beginning to attend his classes, in all honesty he would rather have attended classes from the start to keep him from focusing on the ever present bad feeling that had been following him ever since they docked. He supposed he might as well take advantage of his time and unpack his belongings and to collect the materials so to make use of the entire next day.

 

It took a while for him to find the administration office and really, it was his fault for not asking Yifan for help but he really didn’t want to be a nuisance to him, so he tried retracing their steps until he finally found the admin office. It took half an hour for him to have everything, then double check that they hadn’t missed anything before he made his way back to the dorms. It was just past sunset by then, but Jongdae was exhausted from the trip so he held on until around 9 and slept in his new room.

 

+

 

The day before he was to start held one productive thing, Jongdae had found a new place of seclusion to spend his free time alone in, old habits truly die hard. 

 

The rest of the day composed of him lounging around in bed and even reading ahead into their curriculum to see what was to come. He was surprised to see that he would be taking introductory Mandarin classes with the first years, the day was mostly comprised of training but they managed to sneak in a few math, language, and science courses without it being too much of a heavy load on the students. For that, he was thankful.

 

On his first day Yifan came by his room just before sun up with another, shorter man with pretty eyes, He introduced himself as Luhan and surprised Jongdae by answering his thoughts before apologizing for prying. Luhan was telepathic. A w _arning would have been nice…._

 

Yifan was right, they shared many of the same classes but the lower level classes Jongdae would have to take. The first few classes were the math, language, and science courses while the rest of the afternoon was spent training.

 

“Do you know your level?” Yifan inquired as they changed into their training clothes, and Jongdae was unsure as to how to answer at first.

 

“I’m not sure, I can control myself for the most part, but I’ve never really used my abilities in defense or offense so I’d say my level would be lower than most.” 

 

“Ah, don’t worry you’ll be able to catch up easily if you’ve been training the same amount of time we have. You’ve pretty much mastered your ability which is good because that means there’s little improvement needed in that section, but I assume your primary focus would be on the more physical training since you’ve had no experience.” 

 

And Yifan was right, his physical skills were an embarrassment, but his control garnered praise from their instructor, which was a win for him. His instructor was a tall, muscular woman who looked like she had the ability to break Jongdae’s thin frame in half. Terrifying didn’t even begin to describe her.

 

“Now we’ll focus on trying to get your body in shape so that we can train you for defense and offense, your reflexes are swift and you’re quick on your feet, which means this shouldn’t be so challenging after a while of practice. You’ll be with me separate from them until I see if you’ve improved enough to join them. Any questions?” 

 

“Would I need to come in for extra training? To give me an extra push I mean.”

 

“That can be arranged if need be, but we can leave the details for later while we start with the basics. Shall we?”

 

//\\\

 

There was a new student, Baekhyun almost didn’t notice him at first, but it became pretty clear he had never seen him before, so the only explanation was that he was new. He was a manipulator of thunder too, there haven’t been many like him recently. He wondered whether he’d be inclined to join them, someone like him could really tip the scales.

 

The organization was becoming restless, they wanted action and they wanted it _fast_ , but Baekhyun had no plan, no course of action, nothing. It wouldn’t be long till his stalling would get to them and they would demand for immediate action, so Baekhyun got to work on trying to recruit this new person and to formulate a plan to keep them satisfied.

 

Maybe it was a miracle they still hadn’t figured out his lies about the elders, he shuddered thinking about what they would do if they knew, but he knew it was the only way they’d follow him, and he needed as many people for the cause as possible. _It was all for a good cause_ , is what he repeated to himself, a new mantra of his to keep him as careful as he always was. 

 

They would achieve what his organization set out to do, if they had to take it by force they would. All they needed was a plan.

 

//\\\

 

It was hard to find time to set out for his time of seclusion in his new isolated area, what with training and catching up as much as he could. Jongdae was exhausted, but he knew his hard work was paying off. Every week the exercises were a little less grueling than the week before, which was a miracle because Jongdae felt like he was close to collapsing of exhaustion. Between schoolwork and training it’s been hard to sleep for long periods of time. As soon as he was done his extra after school training and he trained a little longer on his own it was just past dusk, and by the time he caught up on schoolwork it was past midnight.

 

One day, he found the time to pull himself out of his room with a book he meant to finish in the days he arrived at the island, but time was impossible for him, so he was stuck a little halfway through it. He had finished training early so he decided to spend some time alone reading until it became dark out. 

 

He doze off half an hour in, and of course he did, he was running on a full 36 hours of no sleep, but what awoke him was something straight out of his nightmares.

 

Two toned brown and green eyes, towering height, elongated ears, and a strangely pale, almost blue skin greeted him as he opened his eyes. 

 

“I take it you’ve found a new place of solitude then?” The being asked him, backing away from a terrified Jongdae. No this wasn’t real, he pinched himself to make sure and sure enough it wasn’t a nightmare. This was real. He did what he considered to be a completely normal and acceptable reaction to such a circumstance. 

 

He ran.

 

He ran and ran as fast as his feet could take him, his lungs were burning but he paid it no mind, primarily focused on getting the _hell_ out of there.

 

Once he was safely in his room with the door locked, he skipped his schoolwork and fell onto the bed and into a fitful sleep.

 

//\\\

 

He just…ran from him. Why dd he run from him? Yixing did the mortal a favor by rousing him, else wise he would have slept out in the cold the entire night, shouldn’t that ungrateful mortal be _thanking_ him instead of running?

 

Mortals were so strange.

 

(But he was glad Jongdae found his way to the island, at least here he can ensure the stupid mortal’s safety.)

 

//\\\

 

To say that Jongdae was scared shitless was an understatement. In his rush to get out of there, he hadn’t realized that he left his book behind, which meant he would have to retrieve it at some time, preferably before the snow began to fall. Jongdae was dreading it, in fear of encountering that _thing_ once more, he hoped that whatever it was it was gone.

 

He spent quite some time looking up the details of the strange being, whether it be in books or on the internet but nothing came up. Once, he had absently described whatever it was to Yifan and Luhan and asked if they knew anything about it.

 

“Well the only thing that I’ve heard of that could fit your description would be the Healer, you know the “immortal” being the elders never shut up about?” Luhan laughed as if he had told some comical joke, “But that’s impossible! The immortals don’t exist, so in your sleepy daze you must have imagined it.” It was a logical explanation, but Jongdae felt unsure of himself.

 

He tried to go about the rest of his week in peace, but it felt like he was being watched. Everywhere he went he felt eyes on him, and it was starting to make him paranoid. It seemed like he couldn’t catch a break. 

 

+

 

On Friday there was a knock at his door, and when he opened for the person outside the stranger rudely invited himself into Jongdae’s dorm.

 

“Lucky, you got a single.” He commented staring at the mess of papers and books on his desk and at the strewn about clothes on his floor. “I’m Baekhyun, light manipulator, you’re the new guy right? Jongdae?” It seemed like this Baekhyun character would be doing most of the talking so he just nodded in response.

 

“Well Jongdae, I wanted to see how you felt about the campus and school life.” Strangely, he felt as though the stranger, Baekhyun, didn’t really care what he thought of the island.

 

“It’s…different.”At that, he let out a loud laugh that almost seemed _too_ fake, _who_ was this guy?

 

“Yes, I assume so if you hadn’t lived here long. I’ve been on the island my entire life, the whole family are wielders so they never saw a reason to leave.” Was that supposed to merit a response? Jongdae couldn’t find it in himself to reply so he chose to nod instead.

 

“What’s it like, living amongst humans? I’ve always wanted to know.” Ah, that was the reason he came, not to get to know him (which Jongdae already knew wasn’t the reason), he almost scoffed in response.

 

“Boring, now if you’ll please excuse me I have a lot of work to be finishing up so could you please leave?” Baekhyun looked like he wanted to reply something rude but thought better of it as he stepped out of the small room.

 

What a strange person.

 

+

 

On Saturday, Jongdae finally gathered up the courage to retrieve his book, that and the fact that the weather forecast for the rest of the weekend was icy rain, but courage was more important.

 

Everything was going smoothly until after he found the book and was heading to leave. He looked up to find the same being as before, his first instinct was to run, but the thing was blocking the way and he didn’t suppose an “excuse me” would do this time.

 

“Mortal? You wish to run…why?” _Mortal?_ What a strange way this being speaks, part of himself was recalling what Luhan had said earlier that week, but it couldn’t be. Could it?

 

“Besides the obvious?”

 

“The obvious?” This being was either stupid or genuinely unaware of its terrifyingly strange looks.

 

“Yes! A giant, strange being appears in front of me as I sleep, _that_ is terrifying!” He didn’t know why he was trying to make whatever this thing was understand his actions, but for some reason he continued.

 

“Ah! I forget mortals are unaccustomed to our looks,” Jongdae considered making a run for it. but fear of death kept him from making a move, “You…do not know who I am correct?” His mouth seemed to not work at that moment, so he chose to nod in response.

 

“Well, I am Yixing, your kind refers to me as the Healer.” At that, Jongdae found his voice and could only laugh in response that, _YIxing? The immortal being Yixing? Hilarious._

 

“I don’t recall making a joke?”

 

“Well…you’re claiming to be an myth, _that’s_ funny.”

 

“I wasn’t claiming to, I truly am Yixing.” This “Yixing” being responded, and Jongdae could tell they were being serious.

 

“If you’re…Yixing well that would mean…the immortals are real as well?” It was hard wrapping his mind around it, this couldn’t be Yixing, it just made no sense.

 

Although…it did, he was described exactly as the being appeared before him, with the exception of the strange skin, but to be fair his skin was described to be ever changing depending mostly on season. He assumed the icy color of his skin coincided with Winter.

 

“Well… _Yixing…_ how did you know I had found a new place to be alone in? Actually, how did you even know I had a place of solitude.” At that, Jongdae could see the faintest hint of color on the immortal’s cheeks. It was strangely humane.

 

“I saved your life, and was the reason you were to be sent to the island.” The eyes…the eyes! It suddenly made some sense. All Jongdae could remember from that night were the eyes, _Yixing’s_ eyes!

 

“You…you really are the Healer aren’t you?” 

 

“What reason would I have to deceive you, really I’m doing this at my own detriment, if any of my siblings found out…” He shuddered at the thought, and Jongdae really didn’t want to know what would make an _immortal_ quiver with fear.

 

And so they remained at this new area, talking a little, but Jongdae mostly sat in awkward silence wishing he could read his book without it being awkward. When it became late, he found his excuse to leave.

 

“Well, Yixing, it was…interesting to meet you but I’m afraid I have to head back now.” He was almost sorry to be gone, regardless of the long periods of awkward silence.

 

“That’s alright, I - I can come again if you’d like?” 

 

“I don’t see why that would be a problem.” And surprisingly, Jongdae actually meant it.

 

//\\\

 

Baekhyun didn’t need the insufferable, arrogant, new kid. He would be fine on his own as he always had, and this time he actually had a plan. A plan that would take months to be carried out, but a plan nonetheless. 

 

Soon, he wouldn’t be entrapped within the island he had never stepped foot off. Soon everything would change.

 

//\\\

 

Jongdae went from spending time with Yixing every once in a while, to weekly visits, to almost daily visits.

 

It’s been three months since Jongdae first arrived at the island, three months of never ending hard work and dedication to catching up and though Jongdae was nowhere near Yifan or Luhan’s level, but he was improving at a rapid pace thanks to his dedication. 

 

Whenever he could find the time, Jongdae went down to his spot to meet Yixing, the two had become the strangest of friends. Yixing would tell Jongdae stories of the past, of the original group of Blesseds, of whom Jongdae’s ancestor belonged to. Yixing told Jongdae of the reason the immortals isolated themselves from the mortals, but Yixing never spoke of the immortals themselves, and Jongdae couldn’t find it in himself to press the immortal for more information.

 

Jongdae hadn’t had much to say, his life was a short uneventful one, the most exciting thing to happen to him was an immortal appearing before him, which granted almost no one gets to experience (which served to make Jongdae feel special). Yixing didn’t mind.

 

One day as they sit in silence, with Jongdae’s book open in his arms, Yixing asked, “What do you find so special about those novels? I’ve seen you with a plethora of them, sometimes every time we meet I see you with a new book.” 

 

“I’m not sure what really propelled me into my life of reading, but I can only assume a childhood of loneliness beckoned to anything that would allow me to feel _less_ lonely.” As he said it aloud Jongdae realized the extent of how pathetic his life was, up until now his only real “friends” were his books, and his parents but that was a bit of a stretch. He didn’t mean to sound so pathetic, but it was just the way it was.

 

“Ah, you always seemed so lonely on your rock.”

 

“I didn’t have much but my books, I’m thankful for it though, I love to read even though my life has changed so drastically, it’s like a constant in my life you know?” 

 

+

 

Something had changed between Jongdae and Yixing, Jongdae felt himself becoming increasingly more attentive to the slightest of changes in Yixing’s behavior or appearance. When the seasons shifted from Winter to Spring, Jongdae found himself staring at the literal flowers growing out of the immortal’s skin, and when he commented on it Yixing didn’t have much to say.

 

“I wish you could see my brother aspect, with every passing season his skin takes the shape of each season. It’s beautiful really.” _But I wasn’t talking about any being other than you idiot!_

 

“I might be biased when I say I prefer yours.” At that, Yixing smiled and his elongated animal like, canines seemed less daunting. Yixing really could almost pass for mortal if it were not for his shifting skin, ears, and canines. The latter two could easily be covered, but the former would be hard to conceal.

 

Sometimes, Jongdae wanted to reach out to touch the immortal’s tied up, inky black hair. It seemed so impossibly black, and so, so soft. Jongdae never did reach out to touch it though, he kept a firm distance from the immortal. It was never out of fear though, just as a precaution against Jongdae’s actions. 

 

Jongdae didn’t want to admit to himself that the strange feeling of excitement he felt with Yixing and the strange sort of emptiness he felt when they were forced to separate was something more than an odd feeling. 

 

//\\\

 

Yixing did _not_ take a liking to his mortal, and he would never admit if he had anyway. Coming home becomes harder and harder overtime, but Yixing couldn’t risk his brother finding out about his visits to the island, _especially_ not his affiliation with this mortal.

 

Even if he _did_ take a liking to Jongdae, he would never act upon it. He learned the consequences of loving a mortal in the most gruesome, heart wrenching way. So he swore off any relationships with them, he would never take another mortal for a lover.

 

He could still admire Jongdae from a distance though, even if his mind was telling him to stay away from the mortal.

 

What did his mind know anyway?

 

//\\\

 

Everything was ready and soon Baekhyun would _finally_ gain what he had sought after for so long…

 

The elders were a group of naive old Blesseds who never took action until it was too late, he knew from experience with them. The first part of their plan would be to take the children.

 

//\\\

 

It was supposed to be an average day, nothing interesting was supposed to happen. Jongdae wasn’t even going to have the time to spend time with Yixing (which he would consider a below averagely good day), there wasn’t supposed to be a god damn _lockdown._

 

It started early in the day, as they were transitioning into their training part of the schedule when the trainers rushed out and called upon the 8th years for help. Apparently a group of 8th years took the children as hostages and wouldn’t release them until their list of demands were to be met.

 

And the leader of the rogue students? None other than Byun Baekhyun.

 

//\\\

 

Baekhyun’s plan was already falling apart, half their organization backed out upon learning what they were to do with the children, and the other half were on shaky ground. Even those closest to him seemed like they were going to betray him.

 

“Jongin! Zitao! Get over here! We’re losing our advantage as more and more of us continue to shamefully secede from our plan. We need to be able to hold the perimeters more than ever, or else we’ll be done for, make sure they’re covered.” The two stood in place, hesitant to listen to his commands. 

 

“Baekhyun, we don’t have to do this. They aren’t listening to our demands, and none of us are really comfortable using the damn children as bait!” Zitao burst out angrily, “This is _wrong,_ and this isn’t what we were supposed to become. I - I can’t do this.” He made a run for it, and Baekhyun was helpless to stop him or Jongin as they retreated. Baekhyun was over, his grand plan crumbled to bits before it could even be upheld. 

 

The only thing left to do was to escape, he left the children in their unharmed condition and made a run for it.

 

Unfortunately for him he would run into yet another complication.

 

Kim Jongdae.

 

//\\\

 

“You? You would dare use _children_ for your own gain?” Jongdae spat at Baekhyun in a mixture of fury and disgust.

 

“If you have not lived your entire life on the island you should keep your mouth _shut._ ”

 

“That’s no excu-”

 

“I’m not inclined to waste any of my time explaining the technicalities of my decision as it obviously fell through. What I will say is this, you have _no_ clue what it is like to be confined to this place for your entire life and denied the right to leave.” Jongdae almost laughed in the irony of it but a bright, blinding light distracted him and he realized a moment too late that Baekhyun was stalling.

 

Only when the knife Baekhyun slid out and held on the skin of his neck did he realize his mistake. The worst part was that he was completely helpless, using his thunder would harm Jongdae just as much as it would harm Baekhyun, and he wasn’t inclined to be dying that day.

 

“You won’t get hurt if you and the others comply. Now where are they waiting for me?” And what could Jongdae do but lead him toward them.

 

Jongdae could feel the knife piercing his skin and the drops of blood staining his clothes, but he was numb to the pain. A mixture of fear and adrenaline were what kept him distracted. Baekhyun just wanted to get out of everything unharmed, to be given a choice. They surely wouldn’t allow Jongdae to die, right?

 

+

 

_“Back away!_ I’ll hurt him!” Baekhyun led Jongdae out of the building where the remainder of the 8th years and trainers were waiting for the pair. They stepped away from them, and none dared to make an attempt to harm Baekhyun.

 

“I would like free passage off the island, and I won’t be coming back so don’t fret. The children are unharmed as they weren’t meant to be harmed in the first place, so this misunderstanding has come to an end.” When he saw that they were closing in on them, he tightened his grip on Jongdae and the knife pierced his skin once more, blood dripping freely from the shallow wound and onto Jongdae’s clothes and Baekhyun’s arm.

 

“I said step back! You don’t think I’ll hurt him?” Before Jongdae could even react he felt an immense, indescribable amount of pain at the small of his back where Baekhyun stabbed him. He actually stabbed him, there was an actual _knife_ in Jongdae’s back at the hands of Baekhyun. He let out a cry of pain, but kept himself as upright as possible since the knife was still in him, and being gutted like a rat wasn’t really amongst his desires that day.

 

And just as Jongdae thinks he’s done for, Yixing comes out of the woods from the direction of their spot. At first sight of Yixing Baekhyun is terrified, and makes the mistake of stepping back and away from Jongdae. He took one step too many and found himself dangling on the cliff’s edge. Jongdae let out a cry as he tried to grab ahold of his peer’s arm to pull him up, but the wound in his back made him agonizingly slow, _too_ slow, so he could do nothing but watch as his once peer fell, hitting the rubble of the edge before falling into the water. 

 

Jongdae didn’t need to be a genius to know Baekhyun was done for, but he couldn’t focus on that as the adrenaline wore off and the full extent of the pain hit him. 

 

It felt like he was falling too, but it was so dark. Then, nothing.

 

//\\\

 

This would be the second time Yixing would have to save Jongdae’s life, he tried not to let the fear of Jongdae cloud his healing. Every one of the mortals moved away from him in fear, which thankfully made his job that much easier. Healing always drained Yixing’s energy, but he didn’t hesitate to cut into his skin and drip his immortal blood into the now festering wound at the small of Jongdae’s back.

 

“He will regain consciousness in a few hours, I have healed his wound, but he will need time to adjust. See to it that he does.” He spoke to no one in particular for his lack of knowledge of who would be the one to take care of his task, and with that said he disappeared into the woods once more.

 

This time, when he entered his home territory, he did not allow himself to think of the mortal whose life he had saved multiple times, he willed himself to stop thinking of the mortal who more recently has been his every thought. Yixing would no longer venture into the human worlds, he told himself he wouldn’t but a small part of him knew he was never good at keeping his promise.

 

So he picked up his pride and begged his brother aspect to help him erase the memory of the mortals who had witnessed Yixing and his healing, starting from the mortal plaguing every part of his mind. 

 

+

 

For once, he kept his promise and never went back out into the human lands. At least not in Jongdae’s lifetime.


End file.
